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Nine Attributes of the Spirit:
Our new creation in Christ will produce perfect fruit that has nine special and distinctive qualities. As our new life in Christ blooms and grows, we become more and more like Jesus Christ in heart, character, and action. Jesus was the perfect manifestation of these nine qualities of the fruit of the spirit, and his life represented the fruit of the spirit in the most complete way. Fruit is the character of Jesus Christ being manifested in the life of those who have been redeemed. These nine characteristics are to be the distinctive mark of a fruitful, believers’ life. God is glorified when we bear much fruit, and the fruit is a living testaments and witnesses that we have disciplined our lives to follow our Lord. In every good work that flows out of our new nature in Christ, one or more of these distinctive character traits should be present as byproduct. We have now become a part of a circle of growth and development that should become more Christ likeness, as we excel in good works, now producing fruit that inspires and causes more good works, which in turn should produce more godly fruit.
Our good works should rest and be rooted in these distinct and delightful qualities that should be resonating from within our heart. As, we should be especially motivated to dedicate ourselves to producing this spiritual fruit necessary to enrich our lives as well as others we come in contact with daily. These qualities are so amazing, so magnificent, so awesome, as well as life–changing that our lives will have a radical transformation when this fruit begins to blossom from within our hearts. There will be a reflective change in our moral character, our words, our thinking, our actions, and our heart when the fruit of the Spirit begins to be cultivated and nourished in our lives. The old and sinful nature will try to suppress it, the world will try to distract us from walking by the Spirit of God, and the devil will set up battle plans to try to choke the growth of our new nature, so we will never have productive fruit. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them" Matthew 7:15-20 (NKJV).
The nine attributes of the Spirit also known as the nine–fold Fruit of the Spirit.
The fruit of the Spirit consist of nine characteristics. These nine characteristics are evidence that the Holy Spirit is working in a person, and that through Jesus, God has made that person righteous. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” These characteristics are the result (the fruit) that someone has accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and that the person has yielded to the Holy Spirit to let sin no longer dominate his or her life.
A person cannot achieve the nine–fold fruit of the Spirit unless they accept Jesus’ free gift of salvation and yield to the Holy Spirit in their lives.
A person cannot achieve the nine–fold fruit of the Spirit unless they accept Jesus’ free gift of salvation and yield to the Holy Spirit in their lives. The Nine–Fold Fruit of the Spirit are described as follows:
1. Love:
“Agape” love is unmerited favor.
Adoration (love) is something to share with everyone. Regardless of relationship, like and dislike, or situation.
2. Joy:
Cheerfulness (joy) is delight in the hope and promises of Jesus Christ. No matter what the circumstances, a person can have joy in the hope of eternal life and being in right standing with God.
3. Peace:
Contentment (peace) is having eternal security by being in eternal relationship with God because of Jesus’ act on the cross.
4. Long–Suffering:
Perseverance (longsuffering) is having patient endurance to withstand all of life’s trials.
Longsuffering is possible because of hope and assurance in God’s promises.
5. Gentleness:
Kindness (gentleness) is being kind to others and being unmoved by circumstances. By a person yielding to and being comforted by the Holy Spirit, one can be gentle and tenderhearted in all situations.
6. Goodness:
Generous (goodness) is acting like Jesus as He did when He walked on the Earth and doing the things of God. This is a Godly goodness that is defined by God through His Word, the Bible.
7. Faith:
Confidence (faith) is having the hope and assurance in the promises of God. This is a confident and a trust that is not moved by temporary circumstances.
8. Meekness:
Modesty (meekness) is a humility that seeks no revenge. Meekness comes from a person yielding to the Holy Spirit in all circumstances. It is a state of mind where God comes first, and self comes last.
9. Temperance:
Self–Control (temperance) is self–discipline and willpower. With the Holy Spirit in a person, they have a higher purpose to serve God. Fleshly desires are secondary to serving God in all things.
The devil and world do not want you to have any of this spiritual fruit with its nine qualities in your life. The devil will use others to also help him marshal various forces of evil to pull our heart and conduct away from God and to rather be in conformity with the lusts of the age and the selfishness of our flesh. We will be in constant battle with the devil, who is trying to keep this fruit from being productive, but rather wants it to wither up and shrivel away. This is why it is so significant to put our heart, soul, mind, and strength into walking by this new nature in Christ and producing its wonderful fruit that has been graciously given to us as a life sustaining gift.
